Bushnell Park — Attraction in Hartford

Bushnell Park is a 37 acre park located in Hartford, CT and built in 1854. It is the second oldest public park in the US; the first one is Boston Common, in Boston, MA. Due to the population and economic boom, a public open space was voted on and created for the people of Hartford.

It is open dawn to dusk; parking is on street, metered, and around the perimeter. In the park, there are paved and unpaved walking paths, a historic carousel, monuments, and a fountain. There are many events that occur there; popular events are the Hartford Marathon and the Greater Hartford Festival of Jazz.

Other features and amenities include, a lake, an arboretum, picnic tables, playground, rotunda, and sports areas. A few of the notable structures that were added in specific years:

1876 the Capitol 1886 Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Arch 1899 Corning Fountain 1974 the Carousel 1996 Performance Pavilion

It is a beautiful park with a rich history. My family and I enjoyed walking through and sightseeing. They had a free ice skating event going on when we went. I look forward to visiting again and attending the many...

Visiting town and staying just a few blocks off the park. I spent a while walking around the park and really enjoyed the views. The park is beautiful and has lots of history tied up in it. There are plenty of statues and signs that designate and describe what each piece is for.

Just a couple downsides being that the park does seem a little on the neglected side. The trash bins aren’t completely full, but people seem to not be able to walk an extra 4 feet to throw their stuff away. There were a few homeless people who have set up a day time residency within the park, and have garbage the strewn around. Only a couple had asked for money, but weren’t overly bothersome. Unfortunately when I hike in large cities I don’t carry anything on me, otherwise I offer food & water over cash.

The grass on the east side of the park had appeared to have been cut at all this year and really detracts from the beauty of the park.

Otherwise, it was a beautiful day out and it was nice to hike around and see beautiful artwork and learn more on the history of the park...

I have called Bushnell Park(My Park)all my life. My mother took us here often and most of the time us children gladly walked from the Northend of the City so we would have more $$ to buy popcorn and other treats, I even dared a few of my buddies to skip out of elementary school so we could see former President JFK on perhaps his only visit to our fare city in the 1960's. known for wide open clean and green grass spaces, why we even enjoyed working water fountains back then! Of course the park now features the exciting Carousel which can be rented out for your special event(s). Hartford is known historically for it's parks which include Keney, Pope, Colt, and Elizabeth park which features the oldest(best)rose and flower garden in America. See you there during the Xmas holiday season when the Ice Skating Rink is open(with skates to rent)for a memorable visit to this...